Mavis Staples at the Santa Monica Pier, Thursday 7/20, 7:30 PM

Soul and gospel legend Mavis Staples possesses one of the most recognizable and treasured voices in contemporary music. From her early days sharing lead vocals with her groundbreaking family group, The Staple Singers, to her powerful solo recordings, Mavis is an inspirational force in modern popular culture and music.

A 40-year-plus veteran of the music scene - a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and one of VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll - Staples (both with The Staple Singers and on her own) is responsible for blazing a rhythm & blues trail while never relinquishing her gospel roots. Her voice has influenced artists from Bob Dylan to Prince (who dubbed her "the epitome of soul") and she has appeared with everyone from the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Bill Cosby, Presidents Kennedy, Carter, and Clinton, to Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, Santana, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and many others.